The Rev. Albert Morgan speaks to the crowd after being honored with a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 'I have a Dream' award in 2009. / Staff photo/Cody Glenn

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BRIDGETON — Cumberland County Democrats have selected the Rev. Albert Morgan, a pastor in Bridgeton, to run for the remaining seat up for grabs on the Cumberland County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Morgan’s nomination to run for a three-year seat marks a slight changeup in this year’s freeholder elections. Previously, temporary freeholder Carlos Mercado had intended to run for the three-year seat, but has now been switched over to the campaign for the one-year term by Democratic party officials.

Mercado currently serves on the board as a temporary freeholder, filling a seat left vacated by former freeholder director William Whelan, who resigned in July. However, because Whelan’s term does not expire until Dec. 31, 2014, county party officials had to nominate candidates to run for the remaining one-year unexpired term.

As it stands, Democrats have selected Morgan and Darlene Barber to run for the three-year seats, with Mercado running for Whelan’s unexpired one-year term. Running against Barber and Morgan will be Republicans William Gonzalez and Tom Sheppard.

Cumberland County Republican Chairman Bob Grecco said party officials have not made a selection on a candidate to run for the one-year seat against Mercado. Grecco said a selection will likely be made at the party’s Sept. 21 convention.

Cumberland County Democratic Chairman Bob Balicki said he was happy with Morgan’s selection.

“I’m about as thrilled as you can get,” Balicki said. “He is so well-known everywhere, on both sides of the county. He’s very well-respected, very smart.”

Balicki said Morgan’s more than 30-year history in the Vineland school system will help the county in its quest to establish a full-time technical education facility on the campus of Cumberland County College.

Having Morgan run for the three-year seat along with Darlene Barber, who is the former superintendent of the Cumberland County Technical School, made “practical” sense when it came to the campaign’s focus on education.

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“His education background is very important to us,” Balicki said. “We need to change the county through education, and he understands the education system is extremely important.”

Morgan also serves as pastor for Bridgeton’s Union Baptist Temple, where he leads a 1,500-member congregation, and is a former Bridgeton City Council member, chaplain for the Bridgeton Police Department and the executive director at Bridgeton’s Alms Center, a youth outreach program.

Balicki spoke admirably of Morgan’s personal touch with the community.

“You can find him in the hospitals on the weekends, donating his time,” Balicki said. “He’s just a straight-up, stand-up guy in every way.”

Morgan could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Balicki said Mercado will be better suited to take on the burden of running back-to-back campaigns due to his age.

“I’ve asked Carlos to take the burden because he’s a little bit younger,” Balicki said. “That way, (Barber and Morgan) can jump right in together with their experience.”

Mercado said he talked over the decision with his family and felt confident he would be able to tackle the burden.

“I thought that finishing the remainder of (Whelan’s) term would be appropriate,” Mercado said. “I have a very supportive family. The campaign is easy for me, I enjoy it, my family enjoys it. We’re very active in our community.”

Cumberland County Board of Elections clerk Kelly Echevarria said Mercado would have to resign from his three-year seat campaign and fill out a petition for the one-year seat. Morgan would likewise have to fill out a petition. After each gains 100 signatures, the campaigns will officially be switched. Both candidates have until Sept. 6 to do so.

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